Nigeria: Re-election is Jonathan’s decision – Maku

The Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. Labaran Maku, said that the decision to seek re-election in 2015 remained the personal decision of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking on Sunday night in Abuja during the Pre-Centenary Service of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, he said that Nigeria had not developed faster under any other government since General Yakubu Gowon (retd) other than President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said, “The President is addressing the challenges of power supply. Don’t listen to doom sayers who are going about causing confusion. People say why should the President contest election in 2015. The decision to contest the 2015 election is the president personal decision to make; he has the constitutional right to contest election if he choses to do so.

“All we need to do is to pray that elections are free and fair and that whoever contests with the President have a fair chance. That is what democracy is all about. Would you say that a man that has done so well like Jonathan should not contest?

“You have a right to vote for a person or not to vote for him. All the heating of the polity going on now has nothing to do with development. It is individual ambition that is playing out, but God who decides the fate of men will decide.”

According to him, what is important is for Nigerians to work hard for the country adding, “We are not ready yet to leave our work, we want to work for Nigeria.”

The minister added, “Sometimes if you listen to politicians who want to contest the 2015 election, you will think that nothing is going on in the country but a lot of projects are going on now.

“Nations are held together not just by the Army; but by the Lord Almighty, the unity of Nigeria, the constitution, the political institutions, and social institutions are very important in the greatness of a nation. But all these will not work if God is not present.

“It is only those people who lack faith that gets frightened when faced with problems; they predict that the country will collapse, that is people of insufficient faith, but for people of faith, when they face problems, they believe that God is beginning to look for opportunity to glorify His name.”